DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70302#0332
296
HISTORY OF THE SAVAGE OF AVEYNON.
the letters of the alphabet in large characters on pieces
of pasteboard, and then cut in a board the same number
of squares, in which he placed the pieces of pasteboard-
An alphabet of metal characters was then procured,
which the pupil was to compare with the printed letters
and to class in the corresponding squares. The first trial
of the efficacy of this method, was made by Madame Gue-
rin, and M. Itard was surprised to learn that Victor dis-
tinguished all the characters, and classed them in a pro-
per manner. He was again put to the trial, and performed
his task without committing the least error.
Curiosity, rather than the expectation of success, now
suggested to M. Itard the following experiment. One
morning, while Victor was impatiently waiting for his
milk, his instructor arranged on a board the letters of the
word Lait (milk). Madame Guerin, whom he had ac-
quainted with his design, approached, looked at the cha-
racters, and gave him a bowl of milk, as if for his own
use. He then advanced to Victor, gave him the four let-
ters he had taken from the board, pointing to it with one
hand, while with the other he presented him with the
bowl of milk. The letters were immediately replaced,
but at first in an inverted order. Five or six attempts,
however, not only taught him how to arrange the letters
methodically, but likewise gave him an idea of the con-
nection that existed between the word and the thing.
This was proved a few days afterwards, when, just before
his evening excursion to the observatory, he provided
himself of his own accord with the four letters, put them
in his pocket, and immediately on his arrival at the house
of M. Lemeri, whither, as it has already been observed,
he went every day to take milk, he produced the letters
on a table in such a manner as to form the word lait.
From all the preceding observations, it appears that
the child, known by the name of the Savage of Aveynon,
is
HISTORY OF THE SAVAGE OF AVEYNON.
the letters of the alphabet in large characters on pieces
of pasteboard, and then cut in a board the same number
of squares, in which he placed the pieces of pasteboard-
An alphabet of metal characters was then procured,
which the pupil was to compare with the printed letters
and to class in the corresponding squares. The first trial
of the efficacy of this method, was made by Madame Gue-
rin, and M. Itard was surprised to learn that Victor dis-
tinguished all the characters, and classed them in a pro-
per manner. He was again put to the trial, and performed
his task without committing the least error.
Curiosity, rather than the expectation of success, now
suggested to M. Itard the following experiment. One
morning, while Victor was impatiently waiting for his
milk, his instructor arranged on a board the letters of the
word Lait (milk). Madame Guerin, whom he had ac-
quainted with his design, approached, looked at the cha-
racters, and gave him a bowl of milk, as if for his own
use. He then advanced to Victor, gave him the four let-
ters he had taken from the board, pointing to it with one
hand, while with the other he presented him with the
bowl of milk. The letters were immediately replaced,
but at first in an inverted order. Five or six attempts,
however, not only taught him how to arrange the letters
methodically, but likewise gave him an idea of the con-
nection that existed between the word and the thing.
This was proved a few days afterwards, when, just before
his evening excursion to the observatory, he provided
himself of his own accord with the four letters, put them
in his pocket, and immediately on his arrival at the house
of M. Lemeri, whither, as it has already been observed,
he went every day to take milk, he produced the letters
on a table in such a manner as to form the word lait.
From all the preceding observations, it appears that
the child, known by the name of the Savage of Aveynon,
is